the romance novel kind of love
by lord yuuri
Summary: He can't get enough of her stories. He can't get enough of her art. And he truly cannot get enough of her. (a short tale to be told in two parts of literature and yearning.) - sylvain/bernadetta, twoshot.


**chapter 1: the seemingly-eternal longing**

The Sunday sky was dressed in hues of orange and pink. The evening before classes start again, so students around the monastery take the time to relax. Sylvain had candles lit in his room, laying on his bed as he read yet another one of Bernadetta's stories.

"Ashe wanted me to write something..." she had said to him hours earlier. "I-I really would value your opinion on it...not that the others' opinions don't matter, of course! Hilda and Marianne said it was really good, Ignatz loved the art, and even Claude liked it, but I'd like for you to read it, too."

So here he was, basked in a dim, golden hue, reading a tale of a chivalrous knight and his struggles. Sylvain couldn't help but chuckle - this truly was a story for Ashe - but he was loving every bit of it, as he did with every piece that Bernadetta had written. As usual, Bernadetta had a way with words that could fascinate anyone. She added art to her stories - an aspect that was already breathtaking on its own, with its simplistic but aesthetically pleasing lineart and muted colors - but even without the art, the words paint everything so brilliantly. He could see it, hear it, feel it. She wove everything together so delicately, so carefully, engraving her soul onto every single sentence.

But what Sylvain truly loved the most was the idea of Bernadetta valuing his opinion on it. Perhaps he was flaring up his own ego a bit (something that he does regardless on a consistent basis, according to Dimitri), but his heart was like a butterfly fluttering its wings at the very thought of being Bernadetta being comfortable and trusting him with her work.

And that alone interested him, as he found his heart skipping some beats whenever Bernadetta was around him. Their relationship grew significantly; her timidness and embarrassment around Sylvain essentially gone. They chatted for hours at a time, they laughed until their faces were red and their voices hoarse. He cherished their time, cherished how easily she came up to him now with a smile that stretches from ear to ear and a voice sweeter than peach sorbet.

Sylvain knew all these feelings he's encountering are love; he recognized it the moment he felt a puppy crush sprouting within his heart, growing and growing until it blossomed into full-blown desire. The tables have turned; now he's the one who stumbles over his words from time to time, faint blushes on his cheeks and fingers fidgeting behind his back. He doesn't know if Bernadetta took note of his reactions. That girl is like a story in progress: the more you read, the more you learn, but yet there are still things hidden away, still unrevealed.

Sylvain hasn't mentioned these bubbly feelings to anyone, mainly because he knows of the skepticism he'd be met with. There wasn't a single way that Sylvain Jose Gautier could possibly fall in love, and even if there was someone who could believe it, they'll doubt that his love was for Bernadetta von Varley.

But it was possible and it happened and one of these days, when the time is right and he figures out how he'll say it, he'll even tell Bernadetta.

Now, that will be a moment for the history books, Sylvain thought. He knew not even she would believe it, but hopefully, he'd be able to convince her that he really does love her and her work and every little thing she does.

He flipped the page, only to realize that he finished the book. He frowned a little to himself; he wasn't intending on finishing it in a day, but he was lulled in and enticed to stay. Another masterpiece he'll have to praise her on. Sylvain can already hear Bernadetta's shy protests and cute "thank yous". He can already see her asking for his thoughts on every detail, yearning for feedback, giggling at the praise.

He can already see himself falling more and more for her with every word she speaks.

* * *

**Hi um yes, I love these two together. I already foresee myself doing a lot of contributions to the glorious ship. But to be serious, I did enjoy their support. Seeing his love for and praising Bernadetta's writing was really pleasant and sweet. I'm glad I recruited them to the Golden Deer house lol (which is also why the Golden Deer is mentioned. I recruited Ashe, too. All three of them are precious and I love 'em).**

**So yee. There's not a lot of platonic or romantic Sylvadetta content but oh hey, some people say that if you truly wish for somethin', ya gotta make it yourself. I wanted to end this one as a oneshot, but another idea for these two popped into my head while writing this, and the concept is similar enough that it should serve as another chapter as opposed to a standalone.**


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